The Hilux has gained a reputation for exceptional reliability and sturdiness, actually during sustained heavy use and/or abuse, and is often referred to as "The Indestructible Truck". This was further strengthened on the BBC motoring tv show Ideal Gear, after a 1988 diesel Hilux with 305,775 km (190,000 mi) on the odometer was subjected to extraordinary neglect (in series 3, episodes 5 and 6). This consisted of driving it down a flight of steps, scraping structures, crashing headlong into a tree, being washed out to sea, and being submerged in sea water for four hours, driving it through a garden dropping, shed a caravan onto it, hitting it with a wrecking ball, setting its cabin and bed area on fire, and, finally, placing it on top of a 73 m (240 ft) block of apartments that was upcoming destroyed by a controlled demolition. Although it was this time suffering from severe structural damage, the truck was stilan operating after being repaired without spare parts, and with only typical tools that would be found in a truck's toolbox, these as engine, screwdrivers oil, and an adjustable wrench. The Hilux currently rests as one of the background decorations in the Top Gear studio.

In the TV series of 2006, (show 8, episode 3), a Hilux was chosen by Jeremy Clarkson as his platform for creating an amphibious vehicle. With Clarkson, assistance rigged the truck with a massive outboard motor, and steering mechanism in the pickup bed. The truck, redubbed the "Toybota", had been driven by Clarkson over several miles by means and 3.2 km (2 mi) across open water, before capsizing (three metres away from the finish) during a quick turn. When recovered, the vehicle was moved in return to the Ideal Gear Studio, exactly where a confident Clarkson claimed that he would be the only one capable of driving his truck home, since it was the indestructible Hilux. Clarkson had finally destroyed the "indestructible" after he could not get the Hilux started. Whenever Clarkson turned the engine over, it produced hissing and puffing sound as though the injectors or the heater plugs had been removed.

In 2007, Ideal Gear ran a special program in which James and Clarkson May raced a customized 2005 model Hilux to the 1996 magnetic north pole from Northern Canada against Richard Hammond using a dog sled, and won. This episode, known as the Ideal Gear Polar Special, made the truck the first motor vehicle to render it to the magnetic north pole. The Hilux used was slightly changed: bigger rims and thicker tyres were installed, a thick sump guard was installed, the front suspension was moved forward, a gun mount was installed, some effective front lights were installed (although they were not required, as it was even polar daytime at 23:30) and a toilet seat (first introduced as a joke Christmas present idea in Series 3 Episode 6 which also featured the Hilux challenge) was mounted on the rear bumper.In 2010, the Top Gear host James May drove a changed Hilux, one which had served as the camera crew's vehicle during the 2007 polar special, to approach the summit of an erupting Icelandic volcano and retrieved a fragment of volcanic lava. The Hilux had been modified for this task by the setting up of a simple metal "umbrella" and alcohol cooling drips for their tyres (Series 15, Episode 1).

Outside of TV packages, these cars have been known to exceed 482,803 km (300,000 mi) with regular maintenance. It is additionally notorious for being used as an improvised fighting vehicle Ã�ï¿½Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¢Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¢Ã�Â¯Ã�Â¿Ã�Â½Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¬Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¯Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¿Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â½ a "technical" Ã�ï¿½Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¢Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¢Ã�Â¯Ã�Â¿Ã�Â½Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¬Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¯Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¿Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â½ by militias and irregular military forces, exclusively in Third World conflicts. The Toyota War between Libya and Chad was so named because of the use of Hilux trucks as light cavalry cars by the army of Chad.

In October 2007, the Swedish auto magazine Teknikens performed an evasive manoeuvre (a moose test) that presented that the manoeuvrability of Hilux pickup truck was deficient for moving sharply at moderate speeds. The truck failed the test and just the driver's skill prevented it from overturning. After the test Toyota stopped the sales of Hilux equipped with 16" rims in Europe.

A world tape waan accomplished by the support crew for the participants in the 2008/2009 Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race. The team travelled in specially adapted Toyota Hilux's modified by Arctic Trucks, completing a trip of over 5,000 km (3,100 mi) from Novo, a Russian Scientific Station in Antarctica to the Geographic South Pole and back again, creating them the first is to reach the South Pole. The homecoming journey of 2,500 km (1,600 mi) from the South Pole to Novo Station was completed in a tape 8 days and 17 hours.

A team of professional motorists use Toyota Hiluxes for a precision driving show throughout Australia. The Toyota Hilux Heroes began in 2007 and have been enjoyable countless of spectators at different agricultural motor and shows sport events. The Hilux's are 2007 petrol V6, designs and have custom shock absorbers, a custom exhaust, sports seat, racing harnesses, a roll cage and 16 inch alloy wheels fitted. Show highlights include high speed drifting, close formation driving, cross overs(where the cars race towards one another at speed), a 12 metre ramp jump and balancing a Hilux on two wheels all choreographed into a 15 minute show.

A fourth generation Hilux is also the vehicle means for the Transformers Autobots Trailbreaker and Hoist.

Both the the Tacoma and Hilux were updated in 2005. The Tacoma had been based on the brand new 4Runner chassis, while the Hilux rides on a refreshed variation of the ladder frame found on previous versions. The new Hilux has increased in size and is then categorized as a mid-size pick up. The Tacoma had a brand new 4.0 L V6 engine that produces 176 kW (236 hp) and of torque. Their design was very similar to the 4Runner.

Hilux designs available in Australian, Middle Eastern, and Asian markets are built and assembled in Thailand, in which the vehicle is called the Hilux Vigo, or simply Vigo. For the South and European African markets the Hilux is built in Durban, South Africa. As of December 2009, it is the best selling vehicle in South Africa. Those available in South America tend to be made in Argentina, as with the previous generation Hilux. In Asia, the Hilux Vigo platform was used as the basis for Toyota's IMV system which spawned the Innova MPV and Fortuner SUV/PPV.

n Malaysia, the Hilux is only available in 2.5 L with the option of single taxi or dual taxi. The double cab model has an automatic transmission variant. It utilizes the same engine as other Asian countries (in-line, 4-cylinder, 16-valve, DOHC Turbo Diesel with common rail drive injection), however engines used in Malaysia differ in their maximum output of 75 kW (101 hp) at 3600 rpm and maximum torque of 260 m 192 at 1600Ã�ï¿½Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¢Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¢Ã�Â¯Ã�Â¿Ã�Â½Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¬Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¯Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â¿Ã�ï¿½Ã�Â½2400 rpm.

In Singapore, the Hilux is available as an unmarried taxi with the 2.5 L engine or a double cab with the 3.0 L engine. However, the engines are built in Japan (exactly where they are also utilized in the Prado) instead of Argentina. Notable fleet customers include personalized taxi operators, for whom the dual cab model offers additional load area versatility, and the Singapore Police Force and Pakistan Police, which employs it as a patrol car.

The Hilux will be built in Guangqi Toyota Automobile in Guangzhou for the Chinese market. The designs for Asia will feel 4.0 L with the option of unmarried cab or double cab. It utilizes the same engine as Australia (V6, 24-valve, DOHC), however engines utilized in China has been tuned up to the maximum output of 246 kW (330 hp) at 6500 rpm and maximum torque of 405 Nautomatic transmission. China is actually the one Asian country to get the V6 engine.

A Hilux joined in the 2012 Dakar Rally by the Imperial Toyota team of South Africa managed to capture third place despite having little modifications from the production model and being up against factory supported groups.

A facelifted variation of the Hilux had been unveiled by Toyota's Malaysian distributors, UMW Toyota Motor, in August 2008. Toyota has revealed a left hand drive facelifted Hilux Vigo in August 2008 while a right hand drive facelifted model is expected to be released in September 2008. These facelifted models had been introduced to the Philippines in October 2008.

Toyota also introduced a back access system called "Smart Cab" to substitute all Xtra Cab models in E and G grade. The Smart Cab models are only for the Thailand domestic marketplace.

About the 1KZ-TE

The 1KZ-TE is a 3.0 L (2982 cc), 4 cylinder, SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder turbo diesel engine with indirect injection. Bore is 96 mm and stroke is 103 mm, with a compression ratio of 21.2:1. Maximum output is 130 hp (97 kW) @ 3600 rpm with maximum torque of 287 NA . Redline is 4400 rpm. First produced in 1993, it is still used in new model vehicles today. The 1KZ-TE additionally adopts the electronically controlled fuel injection, ETCS-i (Electronic Throttle Control System - intelligent) technology which is similar in basic construction to a modern gasoline injector, although utilizing considerably higher injection pressures, it's an indirect injection engine which gives it a significant fuel and efficiency consumption penalty. It was replaced in most markets with the 1KD-FTV engine which uses common-rail direct injection and delivers more power while using considerably less fuel.

Used in KZN165R, KZJ71W, KZN160 and KZJ78W (Australian & South African delivered model).